5 tips to keep up with the fast-moving ESG field
Last week, someone in my network posted the following questions “I want to keep up to date with developments in the ESG Reporting / Sustainability Frameworks / Corporate Sustainability realm. Where do I look to keep up to date with how fast-changing everything is? What are your strategies for keeping up to date with recent developments and changes? How do you know where the next seminar or event is?”
The problem (and the beauty if you ask a geek like me) of sustainability and ESG is that it changes extremely quickly. Just when we were getting used to the GRI Standards, they published a new exposure draft that would change quite a few things. It is open for public comment right now and the final version will be ready in 2021. The conceptual framework for SASB (only published in 2018) is also up for review, and available for public comment.
If you are one of our clients, you have probably heard us say ”we stay on top of the most recent ESG developments, so you don’t have to”. Most people working in corporate roles are already overwhelmed and overworked, and this is the last thing they want to add to their plate.
Whether you are new to the space, or have been around for some time and are short on time, we want to help you cut through the clutter and focus your efforts. These are my five best tips to keep on top of this fast-changing field:
1. Pay attention the standard/framework setters
GRI: Follow GRI on Linkedin and sign up here for their excellent monthly newsletter. You can learn about changes to the framework, but they also share great case studies and in depth discussions. GRI also has lots of webinars and podcast episodes.
SASB: Follow SASB on twitter and LinkedIn. They are very active accounts. When you download the standards you can also subscribe to their content. They host lots of interesting webinars and have an annual conference in New York.
TCFD has a thorough knowledge hub where you can take classes and read case studies.
We are also offering a 90-minute webinar-style Masterclass on these three frameworks. Check it out if you are interested.
2. Focus on a few news aggregators instead of following hundreds of companies
It is really hard to follow enough companies to get a sense of what’s going on in the space. Instead sign up to a few newsletters to receive news in your inbox instead of chasing the content around. My three favorites are:
Smart Brief on Sustainability: a daily summary of company news related to sustainability efforts
ENERGYminute: a weekly summary that promises you to “make you smarter in 5 minutes”. I love their infographics to explain difficult concepts, and they have good articles and links to other sites.
The reporting exchange: a monthly newsletter with new developments in the reporting space.
3. Listen to rating agencies podcasts
The rating agency space is probably the fastest moving of all. I prefer to listen to their podcasts instead of reading articles:
4. Attend conferences. If that ever becomes possible again (sigh).
Some of the most recommended ones are:
GreenBiz Conference in Arizona (1,500 attendees)
GLOBE in Vancouver
Responsible Business Summit by EthicalCorp in London in October (6,000 attendees)
SASB Symposium in New York
Most conferences had a virtual FREE version this year.
5. Use our best kept secret
And for the final tip, the best well-kept ESG geek secret is to get company ESG reports delivered to your inbox via CSR wire and/or Report Alert by 3BL media. They do not have absolutely every report that gets published, but you will certainly get hundreds of them and you can decide which ones to read.
Happy reading/listening.